[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 22244-22245]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 ENDORSING FURTHER ENLARGEMENT OF NATO

  Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign 
Relations be discharged from further consideration of S. 4014 and the 
Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 4014) to endorse further enlargement of the 
     North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time 
and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, and any 
statements related to the measure be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 4014) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 4014

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``NATO Freedom Consolidation 
     Act of 2006''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) The sustained commitment of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization (NATO) to mutual defense has made possible the 
     democratic transformation of Central and Eastern Europe. 
     Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization can and 
     should play a critical role in addressing the security 
     challenges of the post-Cold War era in creating the stable 
     environment needed for those emerging democracies in Europe.
       (2) Lasting stability and security in Europe requires the 
     military, economic, and political integration of emerging 
     democracies into existing European structures.
       (3) In an era of threats from terrorism and the 
     proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the North 
     Atlantic Treaty Organization is increasingly contributing to 
     security in the face of global security challenges for the 
     protection and interests of its member states.
       (4) In the NATO Participation Act of 1994 (title II of 
     Public Law 103-447; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), Congress declared 
     that ``full and active participants in the Partnership for 
     Peace in a position to further the principles of the North 
     Atlantic Treaty and to contribute to the security of the 
     North Atlantic area should be invited to become full NATO 
     members in accordance with Article 10 of such Treaty at an 
     early date ...''.
       (5) In the NATO Enlargement Facilitation Act of 1996 (title 
     VI of section 101(c) of title I of division A of Public Law 
     104-208; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), Congress called for the prompt 
     admission of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and 
     Slovenia to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and 
     declared that ``in order to promote economic stability and 
     security in Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, 
     Bulgaria, Albania, Moldova, and Ukraine ... the process of 
     enlarging NATO to include emerging democracies in Central and 
     Eastern Europe should not be limited to consideration of 
     admitting Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia 
     as full members of the NATO Alliance''.
       (6) In the European Security Act of 1998 (title XXVII of 
     division G of Public Law 105-277; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), 
     Congress declared that ``Poland, Hungary, and the Czech 
     Republic should not be the last emerging democracies in 
     Central and Eastern Europe invited to join NATO'' and that 
     ``Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Bulgaria ... would 
     make an outstanding contribution to furthering the goals of 
     NATO and enhancing stability, freedom, and peace in Europe 
     should they become NATO members [and] upon complete 
     satisfaction of all relevant criteria should be invited to 
     become full NATO members at the earliest possible date''.
       (7) In the Gerald B. H. Solomon Freedom Consolidation Act 
     of 2002 (Public Law 107-187; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), Congress 
     endorsed 
     ``... the vision of further enlargement of the NATO Alliance 
     articulated by President George W. Bush on June 15, 2001, and 
     by former President William J. Clinton on October 22, 1996''.
       (8) At the Madrid Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization in July 1997, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech 
     Republic were invited to join the Alliance, and the North 
     Atlantic Treaty Organization heads of state and government 
     issued a declaration stating ``[t]he alliance expects to 
     extend further invitations in coming years to nations willing 
     and able to assume the responsibilities and obligations of 
     membership ... [n]o European democratic country whose 
     admission would fulfill the objectives of the [North 
     Atlantic] Treaty will be excluded from consideration''.
       (9) At the Washington Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization in April 1999, the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization heads of state and government issued a 
     communique declaring ``[w]e pledge that NATO will continue to 
     welcome new members in a position to further the principles 
     of the [North Atlantic] Treaty and contribute to peace and 
     security in the Euro-Atlantic area ... [t]he three new 
     members will not be the last ... [n]o European democratic 
     country whose admission would fulfill the objectives of the 
     Treaty will be excluded from consideration, regardless of its 
     geographic location ...''.
       (10) In May 2000 in Vilnius, Lithuania, the foreign 
     ministers of Albania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, 
     the Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia 
     issued a statement (later joined by Croatia) declaring that--
       (A) their countries will cooperate in jointly seeking 
     membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the 
     next round of enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization;
       (B) the realization of membership in the North Atlantic 
     Treaty Organization by one or more of these countries would 
     be a success for all; and
       (C) eventual membership in the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization for all of these countries would be a success 
     for Europe and for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
       (11) On June 15, 2001, in a speech in Warsaw, Poland, 
     President George W. Bush stated ``[a]ll of Europe's new 
     democracies, from the Baltic to the Black Sea and all that 
     lie between, should have the same chance for security and 
     freedom--and the same chance to join the institutions of 
     Europe--as Europe's old democracies have ... I believe in 
     NATO membership for all of Europe's democracies that seek it 
     and are ready to share the responsibilities that NATO brings 
     ... [a]s we plan to enlarge NATO, no nation should be used as 
     a pawn in the agenda of others ... [w]e will not trade away 
     the fate of free European peoples ... [n]o more Munichs ... 
     [n]o more Yaltas ... [a]s we plan the Prague Summit, we 
     should not calculate how little we can get away with, but how 
     much we can do to advance the cause of freedom''.
       (12) On October 22, 1996, in a speech in Detroit, Michigan, 
     former President William J. Clinton stated ``NATO's doors 
     will not close behind its first new members ... NATO should 
     remain open to all of Europe's emerging democracies who are 
     ready to shoulder the responsibilities of membership ... [n]o 
     nation will be automatically excluded ... [n]o country 
     outside NATO will have a veto ... [a] gray zone of insecurity 
     must not reemerge in Europe''.
       (13) At the Prague Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization in November

[[Page 22245]]

     2002, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, 
     Slovakia, and Slovenia were invited to join the Alliance in 
     the second round of enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization since the end of the Cold War, and the North 
     Atlantic Treaty Organization heads of state and government 
     issued a declaration stating ``NATO's door will remain open 
     to European democracies willing and able to assume the 
     responsibilities and obligations of membership, in accordance 
     with Article 10 of the Washington Treaty''.
       (14) On May 8, 2003, the United States Senate unanimously 
     approved the Resolution of Ratification to Accompany Treaty 
     Document No. 108-4, Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty of 
     1949 on Accession of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, 
     Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia, inviting Bulgaria, Estonia, 
     Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia to join 
     the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
       (15) At the Istanbul Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization in June 2004, the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization heads of state and government issued a 
     communique reaffirming that NATO's door remains open to new 
     members, declaring ``[w]e celebrate the success of NATO's 
     Open Door Policy, and reaffirm tody that our seven new 
     members will not be the last. The door to membership remains 
     open. We welcome the progress made by Albania, Croatia, and 
     the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (1) in implementing 
     their Annual National Programmes under the Membership Action 
     Plan, and encourage them to continue pursuing the reforms 
     necessary to progress toward NATO membership. We also commend 
     their contribution to regional stability and cooperation. We 
     want all three countries to succeed and will continue to 
     assist them in their reform efforts. NATO will continue to 
     assess each country's candidacy individually, based on the 
     progress made towards reform goals pursued through the 
     Membership Action Plan, which will remain the vehicle to keep 
     the readiness of each aspirant for membership under review. 
     We direct that NATO Foreign Ministers keep the enlargement 
     process, including the implementation of the Membership 
     Action Plan, under continual review and report to us. We will 
     review at the next Summit progress by aspirants towards 
     membership based on that report''.
       (16) Georgia has stated its desire to join the Euro-
     Atlantic community, and in particular, is seeking to join 
     North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Georgia is working 
     closely with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and its 
     members to meet criteria for eventual membership in NATO.
       (17) At a press conference with President Mikhail 
     Saakashvili of Georgia in Washington, D.C. on July 5, 2006, 
     President George W. Bush stated that ``... I believe that 
     NATO would benefit with Georgia being a member of NATO, and I 
     think Georgia would benefit. And there's a way forward 
     through the Membership Action Plan ... And I'm a believer in 
     the expansion of NATO. I think it's in the world's interest 
     that we expand NATO''.
       (18) Following a meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in New 
     York on September 21, 2006, NATO Secretary General Jaap de 
     Hoop Scheffer announced the launching of an Intensified 
     Dialogue on membership between the Alliance and Georgia.
       (19) Contingent upon their continued implementation of 
     democratic, defense, and economic reform, and their 
     willingness and ability to meet the responsibilities of 
     membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 
     Congress calls for the timely admission of Albania, Croatia, 
     Georgia, and Macedonia to the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization to promote security and stability in Europe.
       (20) The North Atlantic Treaty Organization heads of state 
     and government will hold a North Atlantic Treaty Organization 
     Summit in Riga, Latvia, in November 2006.

     SEC. 3. DECLARATIONS OF POLICY.

       Congress--
       (1) reaffirms its previous expressions of support for 
     continued enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization contained in the NATO Participation Act of 1994, 
     the NATO Enlargement Facilitation Act of 1996, the European 
     Security Act of 1998, and the Gerald B. H. Solomon Freedom 
     Consolidation Act of 2002;
       (2) supports the commitment to further enlargement of the 
     North Atlantic Treaty Organization to include European 
     democracies that are able and willing to meet the 
     responsibilities of Membership, as expressed by the Alliance 
     in its Madrid Summit Declaration of 1997, its Washington 
     Summit Communique of 1999, its Prague Summit Declaration of 
     2002, and its Istanbul Summit Communique of 2004; and
       (3) endorses the vision of further enlargement of the North 
     Atlantic Treaty Organization articulated by President George 
     W. Bush on June 15, 2001, and by former President William J. 
     Clinton on October 22, 1996, and urges our allies in the 
     North Atlantic Treaty Organization to work with the United 
     States to realize a role for the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization in promoting global security, including 
     continued support for enlargement to include qualified 
     candidate states, specifically by entering into a Membership 
     Action Plan with Georgia and recognizing the progress toward 
     meeting the responsibilities and obligations of NATO 
     membership by Albania, Croatia, Georgia, and Macedonia at the 
     NATO Summit in Riga, Latvia.

     SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF ALBANIA, CROATIA, GEORGIA, AND 
                   MACEDONIA AS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE 
                   UNDER THE NATO PARTICIPATION ACT OF 1994.

       (a) Designation.--
       (1) Albania.--The Republic of Albania is designated as 
     eligible to receive assistance under the program established 
     under section 203(a) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994 
     (title II of Public Law 103-447; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), and 
     shall be deemed to have been so designated pursuant to 
     section 203(d)(1) of such Act.
       (2) Croatia.--The Republic of Croatia is designated as 
     eligible to receive assistance under the program established 
     under section 203(a) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994, 
     and shall be deemed to have been so designated pursuant to 
     section 203(d)(1) of such Act.
       (3) Georgia.--Georgia is designated as eligible to receive 
     assistance under the program established under section 203(a) 
     of the NATO Participation Act of 1994, and shall be deemed to 
     have been so designated pursuant to section 203(d)(1) of such 
     Act.
       (4) Macedonia.--The Republic of Macedonia is designated as 
     eligible to receive assistance under the program established 
     under section 203(a) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994, 
     and shall be deemed to have been so designated pursuant to 
     section 203(d)(1) of such Act.
       (b) Rule of Construction.--The designation of the Republic 
     of Albania, the Republic of Croatia, Georgia, and the 
     Republic of Macedonia pursuant to subsection (a) as eligible 
     to receive assistance under the program established under 
     section 203(a) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994--
       (1) is in addition to the designation of Poland, Hungary, 
     the Czech Republic, and Slovenia pursuant to section 606 of 
     the NATO Enlargement Facilitation Act of 1996 (title VI of 
     section 101(c) of title I of division A of Public Law 104-
     208; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), the designation of Romania, 
     Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Bulgaria pursuant to section 
     2703(b) of the European Security Act of 1998 (title XXVII of 
     division G of Public Law 105-277; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), and 
     the designation of Slovakia pursuant to section 4(a) of the 
     Gerald B. H. Solomon Freedom Consolidation Act of 2002 
     (Public Law 107-187; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note) as eligible to 
     receive assistance under the program established under 
     section 203(a) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994; and
       (2) shall not preclude the designation by the President of 
     other countries pursuant to section 203(d)(2) of the NATO 
     Participation Act of 1994 as eligible to receive assistance 
     under the program established under section 203(a) of such 
     Act.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF SECURITY ASSISTANCE FOR COUNTRIES 
                   DESIGNATED UNDER THE NATO PARTICIPATION ACT OF 
                   1994.

       Of the amounts made available for fiscal year 2007 under 
     section 23 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2763)--
       (1) $3,200,000 is authorized to be available on a grant 
     basis for the Republic of Albania;
       (2) $3,000,000 is authorized to be available on a grant 
     basis for the Republic of Croatia;
       (3) $10,000,000 is authorized to be available on a grant 
     basis for Georgia; and
       (4) $3,600,000 is authorized to be available on a grant 
     basis for the Republic of Macedonia.

     SEC. 6. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       Congress affirms that it stands ready to consider, and if 
     all applicable criteria are satisfied, to support efforts by 
     Ukraine to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 
     should Ukraine decide that is wishes to pursue membership in 
     the Alliance.

                          ____________________